San Antonio Spurs: Despite Tony Parker Scandal, They Are a Championship Threat

The San Antonio Spurs have been the buzz on networks like ESPN and TMZ.

Moreso, they’ve been one of the most googled items for the past week.

However, they’ve been a hot topic for all the wrong reasons—their starting point guard, Tony Parker, is having marital problems that have led to a pending divorce with wife, Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria.

Lest we forget, the San Antonio Spurs are a NBA team…and a pretty darn good one at that.

The Spurs are currently 11-1 and lead the Southwest Division. Where’s the hype around that situation?

It’s been put on the back burner for the most part, but there are 10 reasons why the Spurs will be Western Conference title contenders—and teams, commentators and fans need to realize the threat.

Tim Duncan: Could the End Be Near?

At the beginning of this season, many were speculating over the fact this was Duncan’s last season under contract with the Spurs…many also consider his age and the retirement factor.

Last week’s slump didn’t seem to help his case either. But, fortunately for the Spurs and Duncan’s future: the end is not near.

Duncan scored 19 points in the Spurs' win over the Jazz on Friday, surpassing David Robinson as the team's all-time leading scorer.

Duncan also had 14 rebounds and four assists in the win.

His revival on the court has lifted the stress and worries of teammates and fans, and he will definitely give it his all in pushing towards a championship—especially if this might be his last chance to do so.

Manu Ginobili: He's on Fire!

If the other two big stars were mentioned, then it’s obvious and mandatory that Manu is mentioned, as well.

He’s the backbone for this team, from any angle that you look at it. He rarely faces dilemmas and rarely has slumps.

Granted, Manu shot only one-for-six in the first half, but made all six of his shots in the second half. He also had 20 points, five assists and four rebounds in the Spurs' win over the Bulls on Saturday night.

Spurs Slowly Familiarizing with Tiago Splitter

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

By now you’ve probably seen the numbers for Tiago Splitter…and if not, here they are: 18 points on seven-of-10 from the field, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 26 minutes of action.

After not playing in the previous two games, Splitter entered the game with 8:12 left in the first quarter and managed to light up the court and the team.

They Are Hungry

There has been too much focus on the Lakers, Heat and Celtics this season—many have overlooked other teams like the Hornets and Spurs.

Although all of these teams have something to prove and all want the rings, the Spurs might want it more.

In fact, with all the contract issues, the personal issues and the lack of spotlight, the Spurs probably have the most desire in striving to prove everyone wrong by getting back in the picture as a contender.